Imagine this...
A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.
A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.
Now think about this:
A description of the three items you would choose
If there was a major catastrophic event that caused my family and I to be relocated to another country and I only could bring three items; the three items I would bring are my wedding ring, my bible, and my cell phone. I selected these items because each one is significant to me and will help me share my social identity with others in my new country. My wedding ring is important to me because it symbolizes the everlasting and unconditional love I feel for my husband. My bible is important to me because I rely on it to help me get through some most difficult times in my life and of there is a devastating event I know I will need it to help me get through. My cell phone is important for many different reasons. First, it will help me stay connected to other loves one who may have survived and were sent to a different country from me. I will also be connected to the Internet and have access to social media websites such as Facebook, which is what I tend use a photo album.
How would you explain to others what each of these items means to you?
To describe what my rings means to me, I would use the cell phone I brought to show my wedding picture off of Facebook and they can see when we exchanged rings and I can find out how to say love in their language so that hopefully they will be able to make a connection that my ring is a symbol of my marriage. Next, if I have to explain my bible it would I would find out what if they had a religious affiliation and if they do I would see if they would try making connections to my own. Finally, my cell would be easy to show what it means to me because I can demonstrate it features, call people, and show pictures.
Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you.
It would not be too hard get ride of two more items because I do not believe in being too attach to material items. I would keep my bible because it is a staple in my life and would guide my family and I through such hardship.
This was an interesting challenge because it was hard for me to find things that I have a strong emotional attachment to. I discovered that I am not materialistic and do not make emotional connections with objects but rather people. I would have a hard time being away from family members outside my immediate family and friends. I never knew how much I utlize Facebook to illustrate all the important aspects of my life. I do not know how I would be able to effectively communicate all the things that I value and hold dear to my heart. This was an activity that I will be thinking about for a long time.
How would you respond?
